Astronomy 210 Quiz 1, spring semester 2014
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
[Version 1]
An observer in San Luis Obispo, CA notices that there are approximately 10 hours between sunrise and sunset. Which month is this?
(A) March.
(B) June.
(C) September.
(D) December.
(E) (Two of the above choices.)
Correct answer (highlight to unhide): (B)
The winter solstice (10 hours daylight, 14 hours night) occurs in December. (The vernal and autumnal equinoxes (12 hours daylight, 12 hours night) occur in March and in September; and the summer solstice (14 hours daylight, 10 hours night) occurs in June.)
Section 30674
Exam code: quiz01nYe3
(A) : 2 students
(B) : 5 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 18 students
(E): 4 students
Success level: 61% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.70
[Version 2]
An observer in San Luis Obispo, CA notices that there are approximately 14 hours between sunrise and sunset. Which month is this?
(A) March.
(B) June.
(C) September.
(D) December.
(E) (Two of the above choices.)
Correct answer (highlight to unhide): (B)
The summer solstice (14 hours daylight, 10 hours night) occurs in June. (The vernal and autumnal equinoxes (12 hours daylight, 12 hours night) occur in March and in September; and the winter solstice (10 hours daylight, 14 hours night) occurs in December.)
Section 30676
Exam code: quiz01SLo3
(A) : 4 students
(B) : 26 students
(C) : 0 students
(D) : 3 students
(E): 12 students
Success level: 60% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.83
Showing posts with label vernal equinox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vernal equinox. Show all posts
20110204
Astronomy quiz question: San Luis Obispo, CA equinox
Astronomy 210 Quiz 1, Spring Semester 2011
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
On a certain day an observer in San Luis Obispo, CA notices that there are 12 hours between sunrise and sunset. How soon after this date will there be 12 hours between sunrise and sunset?
(A) One month.
(B) Three months.
(C) Six months.
(D) Nine months.
(E) Twelve months.
Correct answer: (C)
12 hours between sunrise and sunset occurs on an equinox, either in March (vernal) or September (autumnal). The time between any type of equinox ("how soon after this date") is six months.
Section 30674
(A) : 5 students
(B) : 5 students
(C) : 25 students
(D) : 1 student
(E) : 6 students
"Success level": 62% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.69
Section 30676
(A) : 3 students
(B) : 3 students
(C) : 34 students
(D) : 0 students
(E) : 10 students
"Success level": 71% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.42
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
On a certain day an observer in San Luis Obispo, CA notices that there are 12 hours between sunrise and sunset. How soon after this date will there be 12 hours between sunrise and sunset?
(A) One month.
(B) Three months.
(C) Six months.
(D) Nine months.
(E) Twelve months.
Correct answer: (C)
12 hours between sunrise and sunset occurs on an equinox, either in March (vernal) or September (autumnal). The time between any type of equinox ("how soon after this date") is six months.
Section 30674
(A) : 5 students
(B) : 5 students
(C) : 25 students
(D) : 1 student
(E) : 6 students
"Success level": 62% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.69
Section 30676
(A) : 3 students
(B) : 3 students
(C) : 34 students
(D) : 0 students
(E) : 10 students
"Success level": 71% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.42
20100906
Astronomy quiz question: vernal equinox
Astronomy 210 Quiz 1, Fall Semester 2010
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
An observer in San Luis Obispo, CA watches the sunrise in late March. On this day, approximately how much time is the sun above the horizon, from rise to set?
(A) 10 hours.
(B) 12 hours.
(C) 14 hours.
(D) 24 hours.
Correct answer: (B)
On the vernal (spring) equinox in late March, there are 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night.
Section 70158
(A) : 6 students
(B) : 35 students
(C) : 3 students
(D) : 0 students
"Success level": 82% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.50
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
An observer in San Luis Obispo, CA watches the sunrise in late March. On this day, approximately how much time is the sun above the horizon, from rise to set?
(A) 10 hours.
(B) 12 hours.
(C) 14 hours.
(D) 24 hours.
Correct answer: (B)
On the vernal (spring) equinox in late March, there are 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night.
Section 70158
(A) : 6 students
(B) : 35 students
(C) : 3 students
(D) : 0 students
"Success level": 82% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.50
20100309
Astronomy quiz question: equinox months
Astronomy 210 Quiz 3, Spring Semester 2010
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
An observer in San Luis Obispo, CA will notice that there are 12 hours between sunrise and sunset in:
(A) March.
(B) June.
(C) September.
(D) December.
(E) (More than one of the above choices.)
Correct answer: (E)
The vernal and autumnal equinoxes (12 hours daylight/12 hours night) occur in March and in September. Note that an unexpected number of students selected June (summer solstice, 14 hours daylight/10 hours night).
Section 30676
(A) : 4 students
(B) : 25 students
(C) : 2 students
(D) : 1 student
(E) : 43 students
(Blank: 1 student)
"Success level": 61% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.71
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
An observer in San Luis Obispo, CA will notice that there are 12 hours between sunrise and sunset in:
(A) March.
(B) June.
(C) September.
(D) December.
(E) (More than one of the above choices.)
Correct answer: (E)
The vernal and autumnal equinoxes (12 hours daylight/12 hours night) occur in March and in September. Note that an unexpected number of students selected June (summer solstice, 14 hours daylight/10 hours night).
Section 30676
(A) : 4 students
(B) : 25 students
(C) : 2 students
(D) : 1 student
(E) : 43 students
(Blank: 1 student)
"Success level": 61% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.71
20070329
Astronomy current events question: my so-called "equinox"
Astronomy 10L, Spring Semester 2007
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events (skytonight.com, from Sky & Telescope magazine), and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)
[0.2 points.] The 2007 vernal equinox occured on Tuesday, March 20 for San Luis Obispo, CA, signaling the start of spring. Why weren't there exactly 12 hours between sunrise and sunset on that date?
(A) The Earth's orbit around the Sun is not a perfect circle.
(B) Daylight savings time shifts astronomical events one calendar day ahead.
(C) The date of the vernal equinox is misaligned because of accumulated leap year days.
(D) Sunrise and sunset times are defined when the top edge of the Sun is on the horizon, and not when the center of the Sun is on the horizon.
(E) The start of spring in the northern hemisphere marks the start of fall in the southern hemisphere, on the other side of the International Date Line.
Correct answer: (D).
Student responses
Section 4137
(A) : 3 students
(B) : 3 students
(C) : 2 students
(D) : 13 students
(E) : 0 students
Section 4138
(A) : 2 students
(B) : 2 students
(C) : 0 students
(D) : 13 students
(E) : 4 students
Section 4139
(A) : 2 students
(B) : 1 student
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 6 students
(E) : 4 students
When prompted, students know that the "equinox" refers to equal hours of day and night, thus exactly 12 hours between sunrise and sunset. However, on March 20, 2007 for San Luis Obispo, CA, the U. S. Naval Observatory times for sunrise and sunset are:
Sunrise 07:07
Sunset 19:15
This is due to how sunrise and sunset are defined, which is not when the center of the Sun is on the horizon, but when the very top edge of the Sun is on the horizon.
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events (skytonight.com, from Sky & Telescope magazine), and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)
[0.2 points.] The 2007 vernal equinox occured on Tuesday, March 20 for San Luis Obispo, CA, signaling the start of spring. Why weren't there exactly 12 hours between sunrise and sunset on that date?
(A) The Earth's orbit around the Sun is not a perfect circle.
(B) Daylight savings time shifts astronomical events one calendar day ahead.
(C) The date of the vernal equinox is misaligned because of accumulated leap year days.
(D) Sunrise and sunset times are defined when the top edge of the Sun is on the horizon, and not when the center of the Sun is on the horizon.
(E) The start of spring in the northern hemisphere marks the start of fall in the southern hemisphere, on the other side of the International Date Line.
Correct answer: (D).
Student responses
Section 4137
(A) : 3 students
(B) : 3 students
(C) : 2 students
(D) : 13 students
(E) : 0 students
Section 4138
(A) : 2 students
(B) : 2 students
(C) : 0 students
(D) : 13 students
(E) : 4 students
Section 4139
(A) : 2 students
(B) : 1 student
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 6 students
(E) : 4 students
When prompted, students know that the "equinox" refers to equal hours of day and night, thus exactly 12 hours between sunrise and sunset. However, on March 20, 2007 for San Luis Obispo, CA, the U. S. Naval Observatory times for sunrise and sunset are:
Sunrise 07:07
Sunset 19:15
This is due to how sunrise and sunset are defined, which is not when the center of the Sun is on the horizon, but when the very top edge of the Sun is on the horizon.
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